The Lakers are on the road and will be for a while as they go on their annual Grammy road trip. They are coming off a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home and head to Phoenix to face the Suns. The Suns are 21-16 and rejuvenated this year after a regrettable season last year. Jordan Hill replaced Robert Sacre in the starting lineup. The Suns will miss their point guard Eric Bledsoe, who tore his meniscus and will be out indefinitely.
First Quarter
The Lakers once again come out sloppy and gave up the early lead to the Suns. Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Lakers, but more importantly they have problems protecting the paint and rebounding on both ends of the court. The Lakers were able to settle down and make the quarter competitive. Markieff Morris killed the Lakers inside and scored five points. Wesley Johnson led the way with seven points and Chris Kaman chipped in with six. After trailing early, the Lakers were able to close the quarter with a 27-26 lead.
Second Quarter
Lakers stabilized to start the second quarter and the game continued to stay close midway through the quarter. The Lakers were down 36-35 and Nick Young drove to the basket and was fouled hard by rookie Alex Len. Tempers flared and Young wanted to retaliate, but was unable to do so with all the pushing and shoving. Both players were removed from the game. Young actually took a swing at Goran Dragic and could face a possible suspension. The Lakers seemed to be inspired by Nick Young’s fighting spirit and took a ten point lead with a few minutes left in the second. The Suns were able to storm back and cut the deficit to four. Jodie Meeks and Kaman both had ten and the Lakers were leading 54-58 at the break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvuz3fFaY4
Third Quarter
The Suns were able to grab the lead early in the third quarter. It seems like a broken record, but the Lakers could not control the glass. The Lakers managed to play better and keep the game close. The Suns would go on to outscore 34-24 in the third quarter. Gerald Green has 26 points so far and he led all scorers. Johnson led the Lakers with 17 points as they trailed 88-82.
Fourth Quarter
Lakers started the fourth strong, but were unable to take the lead from the Suns. The Lakers’ interior defense continued to be a problem for the Lakers. Johnson had a great game and kept the Lakers close. Unfortunately, the Lakers started to get sloppy and the Suns were able to extend their lead to ten midway through the fourth quarter. While the Lakers made a mini-run at the end of the game, they lost 121-114.
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